Ken Whitten: USA – Safari Testimonials

I just completed my second safari with Brian Mengoriki and Ecological Wilderness Adventures. Once again Brian exceeded all our expectations, from working with us via email to develop the itinerary to actually guiding us for 23 days through the wonderful parks and wilderness of Tanzania. Our group consisted of 12 Alaskans, including several professional biologists. Most of us have extensive travel experience in the Alaskan bush and throughout North America and much of the rest of the world.

Brian and his assistants offered a truly first class experience. We stayed in top rated lodges for part of our journey. Service, facilities, and general ambiance at the lodges was outstanding, but we occasionally had to endure cold water showers with little or no water pressure as dozens of tourists all returned from safari at the same time to wash up before scheduled meals. That was never a problem in Brian’s fabulous mobile camps, where cheerful staff awaited us with hot water for showers no matter what time we showed up. The mobile camps also allowed us to stay right among the animals, thus avoiding daily commutes from lodges outside the parks. The camps provided incredible “old time Africa” experiences of “sundowners” around an open fire and candle-lit meals under canvas. Sleeping tents were comfortable and spacious with private showers and even chemical toilets.

In the field, Brian and his assistant guides were superb naturalists and very adept at finding and getting close to an astounding variety of wildlife. In addition to the “Big Five” and other large mammals, Brian located numerous smaller game and over 275 species of birds, most of them within intimate camera range. Brian and his assistants are all native Tanzanians and are treasure-troves of cultural and historical lore. On top of that, they are thoughtful, humorous, and genuinely likable travel companions.
Brian’s safari vehicles are comfortable and well maintained, with open roof hatches for all passengers, an assortment of guide books, and a cold box for water and sodas. We often carried picnic breakfasts or lunches so we could stay out longer and not be limited by scheduled meal hours at camp or in the lodges.
Before this trip, I spent long hours explaining to my friends how wonderful our safari would be. Even so, the universal comment was, “Even better than you promised. Far exceeded our expectations.”
Ken Whitten
Tour Guide and Retired Wildlife Biologist
Fairbanks, Alaska USA